The After Effects
by Newfi Girl
Summary: Tobias and Christina are launched into a whole new reality when they find out that everything they had accomplished was merely a concoction of their minds; a simulation. The war had never happened and now they have new setbacks to conquer and battle. This story takes place after Allegiant. Eventual Fourtris. Please feel free to leave a review. They keep me inspired to write. :)
1. It's Time

**You will see references to "Beating Heart" by Ellie Goulding in this chapter. I've been trying to figure out a story to write, and "Beating Heart" inspired me to start this one. Fair warning, this chapter is sad, but it will get better.**

**Chapter 1: It's Time**

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_And I don't know where I'm going, but I know it's gonna be a long time._

"He's been worn down with age and time. He's old and decrepit."

His words burned and ignited flames that scorched my throat and ignited my heart. My eyes, dark and covered in a thin layer of withheld tears, pierced his brown hues with hatred fueled by a pain I had felt so many times already. I couldn't do this. Not again.

He tripped and stumbled over his own feet as he tried to step backwards, my glare having an immediate effect. I could see his hands were trembling, his skin flushed. The clipboard in his grasp shook so much that the pen attached to it clicked against the wood.

"Not physically, of course. He's only 40. I mean mentally. On the inside, he's a 100-year-old man…" His voice trembled as he spoke, some words falling over each other. Sweat dripped from his forehead and down his neck, soaking the blue collared shirt and black tie secured around the base of his throat. He seemed hot. His face constricted in discomfort as if the white coat he adorned, which brushed his calves as he took another step back, was tightening around every inch of his body like a python.

"I suggest you get on with it." My own voice sounded like stone. There was no change in tone, no stutter, no nothing. Perhaps all of the emotion brewing inside of me decided to combine and make me numb.

"The things he's seen, the things he's done, and the time he has grieved has taken a toll on his body. I don't know how much longer he has. He…"

"Go."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said go. Get out. You're not telling me anything I don't already know." Stone. So cold.

"I'm very sorry…"

"Get out!" The legs of my chair squealed in protest as I shot to my feet and took a step towards the doctor. He didn't know anything. He didn't know Tobias. Not like I did. Not like Tris did.

He didn't waste another minute in the room, but rather scurried out like a scorned dog with its tail between its legs. I watched for a moment and willed him to come back in and do one thing, anything, to make me snap. I needed to hit something or break something… anything.

But then he moaned, most likely stirred from my scream, and suddenly I was back in my chair, both my hands wrapped around his left one like a cocoon. I massaged his palm with my thumb, willing his pain to go away.

"Tris?" His voice was gruff and low. His blue eyes, always full of light and determination, were flickering and trying desperately not to burn out.

"Christina, Tobias. It's Christina." My voice was softer now, much more gentle. The corners of my lips tugged up at the corners, although the small gesture was forced. "How are you feeling?"

His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and then open again as he let out a deep breath. "Fine. Since when did I become a 100-year-old man who's decrepit?" He was trying to make things easier. Always the protector, never the one in need of protecting. He didn't want to be remembered as weak.

"You're not. That doctor, and I use the term loosely, is an idiot. Lucky for you, I'm smart." Again, that forced smile.

He chuckled, low and barely audible. My eyes went to his heart monitor. The beat was steady, but weak and growing weaker by the moment. Three weeks we had been here. Maybe a few weeks isn't long to most, but to me it is an eternity. I don't want to see him like this and neither does he, but I can't bring myself to leave him. I've only left his side for my body's necessities like food and hygiene.

"Lucky for me…" He repeated the words quietly and gave my hand a small squeeze, which I returned naturally.

_And I'll be leaving in the morning come the white wine bitter sunlight._

"Feels nice."

His words caught me off guard. "What feels nice?" I was simply curious, but extremely grateful for the smile on his lips.

"The sunlight." He stated the words as if they were obvious. It wasn't until then that I noticed a ray of sun seeping in through the hospital room's window, bathing Tobias in warmth. It was nearing 7. The sun had almost risen, but the sky was still painted in beautiful shades and hues. This room was in a good spot, located where the neighboring buildings in Chicago didn't block the horizon from view.

"It does," I agreed. I felt so tired all of a sudden. I didn't need a mirror to know that there were deep shadows under my eyes, further accentuating my night black irises. My hair was a mess, the strands of grey on the underside viewable because of my bed head. I was only 34, but like Tobias I had aged early. Too early.

"You okay?" He was worried about me. He had IVs attached to both arms and oxygen being pumped into his body, but he was worried about me.

"You don't worry about me. Just worry about yourself and getting better."

"We both know I'm not going to get better, Christina." He didn't look sad when he said those words. There was acceptance in his eyes. He had come to terms with this and I knew why.

"Don't talk like that. You're strong." A tear slipped down my cheek, to which I quickly wiped away. I had no right to cry. Only he did. Yet, another tear fell anyway, followed by others. I buried my head in the sheets.

"It's okay, Chris. You know something? You're not a robot. It's okay to show emotion, to have weaknesses. It's okay."

I drew in a ragged breath and sat back up, watching him with eyes that refused to quit leaking.

"It's a malfunction caused by my genes right?" It had been so many years since anyone had been referred to as genetically pure or genetically damaged, but he knew what I meant.

He shook his head. "No, you're perfect. You've been there for me and put up with me for so many years. I could never have had a better friend than you." He lifted his arm, the muscles straining, and placed a hand on my cheek, brushing away some of my tears.

Tobias and I had grown close. So close in fact that he often referred to me as an annoying little sister. But through all these years, that's as far as our emotions had taken us. He was my brother and he belonged to Tris. He would always belong to Tris.

He wasn't sick. He hadn't been shot, or shocked, or punched. He was simply older than his body looked, just like me. The stress of those months of war had taken a toll on all of us. Even years later, the drop of a pen would send me into defense mode. The backfire of a car's engine would make my heart skip a beat. Even the screams of children at play caused me to have nightmares. Our minds knew the war had ended long ago, but our bodies and our instincts were still in a war of their own.

Tobias' body had simply finally won the war. His heart had given out while he was at work in the Governor's building at the heart of Chicago. The doctors had shocked him back to life, but it was only a temporary fix. Now his lungs were giving out along with other organs I didn't care to remember.

I felt weak. Well, weaker than I had in the past few weeks. My eyes felt heavy and my mind didn't want to process anything anymore. But I would remain alert for my friend.

"You just be strong, okay. It's…" My words trailed off. I couldn't bring myself to say it, but Tobias needed to hear it. "It's okay to let go. It's okay to go to her."

He began crying then, but a smile still played on his lips. I wiped away his tears, but soaked the blankets with my own.

_I want to make the best of what is left, hold tight. And hear my beating heart one last time._

"I'll see her again, right? She'll be there waiting?" He sounded so young then, like a child clinging to his mother for answers and hope. However, I truly didn't know. I could only hope and believe.

"I think so. I can't tell a lie and say yes, but I think she will be."

"Still the same old Candor." His tone was weaker and his grip on my hand loosened.

"Hey, we can't forget our factions, even if they're gone. Be happy Tobias. Find her and be happy." Then, I lost it. I choked back sobs and bit back a scream that clawed at my throat. I'm not ready, but I am. I don't want to lose him, to lose my last connection to her, but it's time.

And then there's nothing. There's no pressure on my hand. There's no spark of life in his closed eyes. There's no more warmth radiating from his skin. There's no rise and fall of his chest. There's stillness. There's quiet, aside from the steady, never ending beep of his heart monitor, but it's merely a dulled sound in the background. There's simply nothing.

I see nurses and doctors run into the room, but it doesn't feel like they are really there. It feels like I'm in a dream. There's heaviness all around me. My limbs feel like lead and my eyelids feel like curtains that threaten to pull their holders down. My hands are tingly and there's this feeling coursing through my nerves, but it isn't pain. I don't feel dizzy, but everything is just a blur. Then there is pain, but it's only brief. It's like an electric bolt zapped my brain and made it go numb.

Then, those holders keeping the curtains up break and I fall into darkness. I feel calm and safe. There's no fear, no regret, no pain. There's something now. I'm not alone in the darkness. I feel at peace. Tobias let go, yet I can't bring myself to feel sad. There's no confusion or hatred or loneliness. But there is something in the distance. It grows, consuming the darkness, and then all I can see is blinding white light.

_Wanna hear your beating heart tonight._

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**That's it for now. I hope you all enjoyed. Please take a moment to review and give me your opinions. I respect constructive criticism, but be polite about it please. My best writing comes out when I'm inspired to write and your reviews will help me stayed inspired if this story is worth continuing. Thank you all so much. **


	2. Reality

_I was reading through my old stories and happened to remember that I wrote this chapter a while ago and never posted it. So, I thought I would post it instead of letting it sit unread on my desktop. It was fun to read through this story again and if you all like it, I just might continue while I have time during Christmas break. Let me know what you think by leaving a review after you read the chapter. So, without further ado..._

**Chapter 2: Reality**

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_*Four's POV*_

My eyes shot open and I jolted up, gulping in a huge breath of air that my lungs desperately craved. I tried to catch my breath and steady myself, a few coughs erupting from my chest in the process. The beating of my heart felt sporadic and extremely fast, like the organ was pounding against my chest plate with angry fists. One breath at a time.

There was something cold around my wrists and I looked down to find handcuffs binding me to the chair I sat it. My feet were bound as well, but by Velcro restraints. This set me on edge and my heart rate picked back up. Deep blue eyes scanned the area for danger, but there was no visible threat. I was the only one in the room. There was a camera mounted in the far corner. Someone had to be watching.

"Hey!" My voice was scratchy, but strong and so unfamiliar. It felt weird to speak, as if I hadn't done the motion in a long time.

"Hey! I know you're there! Where am I?" I felt like panicking, but I tried to keep myself composed. My wrists ached in protest as I tried to jerk the handcuffs and make them break, my biceps and triceps straining as I struggled.

That's when I realized a difference. Just moments earlier I could barely lift my arms. Now, my muscles felt strong and hard, only straining because the metal wouldn't give. The muscles rippled under my skin and sweat began to drip down my forehead.

There were wires everywhere. Needles were embedded in my calves, biceps, and neck. A strange green substance was running through the wires connected to the needles. My chest was again hooked up to a heart monitor, and the beeping was fast and incessant. I felt like a lab rat and wanted desperately to yank all of the needles and wires out. I began struggling against the handcuffs again, the metal cutting into my flesh.

That's when the door across from me slid open and I immediately ceased my struggle, my focus redirected towards whoever was coming into the room. And the person who appeared caused me to lose it.

"You son of a b***h!" My voice rose and echoed in the room, most likely being heard down the hall. "You killed her!" Crimson began to drip down my wrists and stain my forearms.

He didn't even seem phased. In fact, there was a smug smile littering his features that angered me more. "I didn't kill anyone, Tobias."

"You're a liar and a coward, David! You shot her! You killed her!" It didn't cross my mind that he had been memory wiped by the serum, but his reaction also didn't seem appropriate for someone who didn't remember killing Tris. He was amused and not in the least bit confused.

David crossed his arms and chuckled, the sound raspy and unpleasant. "I didn't kill anyone. Let me explain."

I didn't want to hear anything he had to say, but I also didn't really have a choice. The pain of my wrists began to seep into my subconscious, so I quit struggling against the cuffs and glared daggers towards the man who had taken her away from me so many years ago.

"Tris never actually died."

I scoffed and bit back a stream of profanities that were building up in my throat. "How can you say that? You shot her. I saw her body!" My face felt hot as anger boiled inside of me.

"I can say it because it's true." He paused for a moment, his eyes taking in my appearance. "Have you even stopped for a moment to observe a key point in this room?" David snapped his fingers and a woman entered, a large mirror in hand. "Thank you, Darby." She nodded once and then left the room without saying a word.

"What, you mean like all these wires sticking to me like I'm some kind of lab animal? Yeah, I noticed," I snapped sarcastically.

David sighed and grabbed the bridge of his nose. I was finally making him frustrated. Good. I hoped he would come closer so I could steal the gun tucked in his belt and kill him the way he had killed Tris.

I could still picture her body laid out on the metal table in the morgue. That hadn't been my Tris. She was too cold and too still. The smile that brightened my mornings had vanished, replaced by lips that would never smile again. He had done that to her.

"No Tobias, not the wires." He picked the mirror up and held it in front of him, forcing me to stare at my own reflection. "Now, what do you see?"

"That's not even…" I trailed off as I studied the eyes staring back at me. They were deep set, connected to a slender nose and ears that I felt were too big, but Tris had always told me otherwise. Beneath the t-shirt I could see the ends of my tattoo that peeked out of the collar and wrapped around the back of my neck. My skin looked fresh, nourished, and young and the muscles that had withered with age were back, sculpted and strong.

"How? What kind of trick are you trying to pull here?" My voice was tight with anger, but quiet because of shock.

David shook his head and set the mirror back down. "No trick. That's really you."

That spark of anger from earlier suddenly ignited again as the shock faded and I shook my head violently. "You're in my head. It's a simulation. This isn't real! I'm supposed to be dead! How are you doing this? How did you bring me back and why are you making me see something that isn't possible?" I huffed silently, the sound coming out closer to a growl. I hated him.

"You've got it backwards, actually. You see, this…" David motioned around the small room, "is real. What you saw before was a simulation."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not. The proof is right in front of you and you're refusing to see it. Look at me. If it's been years since you destroyed the union and wiped my memory, then why do I look the same as I did all those years ago? You were 40 when you died in that simulation. You're actually 24, the same age as when Tris met you." He was willing me to understand, but I didn't want to listen.

"Don't you dare say her name! You have no right to speak of her!" I snapped, hissing the words.

"You only _think _I killed her. She's not dead. You're not dead. You're only dead in the simulation." David spoke the words as if a five year old could understand them, like it was so obvious and I was just stupid.

"How can I believe a word you say?" My tone had fallen flat. I was tired of arguing. I just wanted to kill him so I didn't have to listen to his lies anymore.

He stared at me for a few moments and then turned towards the door. "Bring her in."

The door swung open and two guards in all black dragged Christina in. The guards look Dauntless, but that was impossible. The factions were gone. And the girl I saw was also impossible. She was so young. Her hair possessed no grey and there were no dark circles plaguing her midnight black eyes. "Let her go!" I lunged forward again, digging the handcuffs in deeper.

David held his hands up as a calming gesture. "She's not in any pain Tobias. She's just groggy and she can't walk properly by herself yet. You both have been under the simulation for a while. The medicine pumping through the IVs connected to your arms and legs is a muscle enhancer that kept the tissue from atrophying while you were under. And the IV connected to your throat… that gave you nourishment to sustain your body through the process."

"If she can't even walk, then let her sit with me. It's not like she can run away," I pointed out, trying to keep my tone even.

David paused for a moment, contemplating what I had just said, and then nodded once. The guards sat Christina down in a metal chair next to mine and then fell back to the corner of the room.

"Tobias?" Her voice was sluggish, but strong.

"Yeah, I'm here." I couldn't help the relief that flooded my voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. There was this pain in my head and then I woke up in some room down the hall." She stopped, suddenly realizing something. "But wait, how am I talking to you? You were dead. I was there when your heart stopped!"

I didn't understand it anymore than she did. Instead of trying to explain, I turned back to David. "If my life was a simulation…"

He interrupted me. "No, not your whole life. You entered the simulation about a year ago. Christina, you went under a few months ago."

"But years went by!" Christina piped in now, slowly catching on. "That's not possible."

David leaned back casually against the wall and crossed his arms. "You're mind doesn't follow time. Think about it. When you're asleep at night, does it feel like you're asleep for hours? No, it feels like you're asleep for minutes. Years in there were mere days, or weeks here. Different minds work at different paces."

My mouth hung open slightly. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Why should I believe him? He was a murderer.

"Wait, did we have to die in the simulation to wake up from it?" I asked.

David nodded and arched an eyebrow.

I was about to add onto that question, but Christina chimed in. "But I didn't die."

David let out another disgruntled sigh. He seemed to be growing tired of explaining. "Yes, you did. When you saw Tobias die, your body gave out. That shock you felt in your brain was a stroke."

Christina's eyes went wide. I wished that I could take her hand and try to comfort her, but I was still bound to the chair by restraints. "Tris died in the simulation. You shot her. So, now she's here? She's alive?" I couldn't help but feel the relief as it flooded through my body. All this time I thought I would never see her again.

David pushed off the wall and changed the topic. He was hiding something. "You were all put under the simulation because you are Divergent. We needed to study your minds, your actions, and your feelings. We needed to understand your thought process and what those thoughts led you to do. In your case, your actions led you to destroy not only the faction system, but also the union."

"How does us destroying a world built in a simulation affect this world?" Christina snapped.

"Simulations can't be built from nothing, Christina. We have to have something to build from. Everything you experienced in that simulation was true. Right now, we are in the heart of Chicago in a hospital that no one but a select few know about. Chicago is split into 5 factions, as you should recall, known as Abnegation, Dauntless, Candor, Eurdite, and Amity. The city is cut off from the rest of the world by a tall, electrified fence. And the union also exists. They are running various experiments around the United States, and we are one of them."

I couldn't believe or process what I was hearing. We had won the war already. The factions were gone and so was the union. But that's the thing, they weren't gone. They were only gone in our minds. We had defeated our enemy, while also giving them the information they needed to keep it from actually happening. "You used us," I stated simply. Everything had been for nothing.

"In a sense, yes. But we don't kill Divergent here unless they become a problem. You will both be free to leave here once we've explained everything."

"I'm not Divergent," Christina pointed out as she shifted positions in her chair.

"But you are," David concurred. "You were made to believe that you weren't while you were in the simulation. If we put all Divergents in as Divergents, then it wouldn't really be believable, now would it?"

"You were there, but you can't be Divergent. You weren't even part of the factions or the experiment," Christina added. Her mind was trying to process everything that she was hearing.

"I put myself there. I wasn't really there under the simulation like you were."

"What about Peter and Tori and Caleb and all the others? Were they really there or were we conversing with machines developed in our minds?" I growled. Everything had been a lie and now I couldn't decipher lies from the truth.

"Remember what I said earlier. Simulations can't be created from nothing. Everyone in the simulation is based off of real people from our society. Tori is divergent, returned to us when she was shot, and now lives in Dauntless here, like you both will. Peter and Caleb are not Divergent. They live in factions amongst our society, but they were never actually in the simulation with you," David explained nonchalantly.

"Tris would never agree to live in this society and pretend the simulation never happened! What did you do to her?" I screamed. More blood trickled down my arms and onto my shirt. It was a miracle I hadn't passed out from blood loss yet. Adrenaline was keeping me awake.

"You're right, she was quite adamant on killing me and she refused to cooperate. So, we wiped her memory and now she's quite happy in Dauntless as an instructor for the new initiates," David said casually, but there was something in his eyes that said he enjoyed the look on Christina's face and mine.

"I'm going to kill you." This time it wasn't me that spoke, but Christina. Her tone was so menacing that even I instinctively wanted to move away.

"I don't think you'll have that chance. We'll wipe your memories as well to give you a clean slate. Then we'll settle you both inside of Dauntless as instructors alongside the others and you'll be a welcomed addition to our society. I really do think you'll enjoy life here, as you should have lived inside the simulation. But nonetheless, we really appreciate your service to us. You helped us stop yet another war from happening even before it began." His words were mocking and filled with tantalizing humor.

I fought against the restraints harder then, trying desperately to free myself. Christina shot up from her chair and lunged for David, obviously having gained control of her legs faster than expected, and landed a punch on his right temple before the guards restrained her. One knocked her out with the butt of his gun and then they dragged her out of the room.

"No! You can't do this!" I screamed in rage. I had never been this angry before, not even when I found out Tris was dead. Because now I knew she was alive, and he was going to take her away from me again.

David recovered from the punch and winced as pain shot through his head. "Oh, I can. And I will." He picked up a syringe filled with a clear liquid and studied the amount before walking over to my chair. There was a devilish smirk on his lips.

"I will remember and when I do, you're going to die," I spat through harsh breaths as I pulled with all the strength my arms had left. The handcuffs had probably reached bone by now, but I couldn't feel the pain.

There was the sharp pinch of a needle entering my neck and then a stinging sensation as the medicine entered my bloodstream. Slowly, I felt myself begin to slip away. I thought about Tris and the last time we had been together. Our last kiss had been short, but the meaning behind it had been intense. She loved me and I loved her. We would both belong to each other forever. Memories or none, she would always be mine. I would find my way back to her.

Her face faded away as the serum took complete affect. I blinked a few times and looked up at the man before me, my eyebrows pulled together in frustration as I tried to remember who he was.

"Why am I here? I'm supposed to be in the Dauntless compound. Recruits will be coming in soon."

David smiled and stepped back, placing the syringe on the table once more. "Don't worry Four. You'll be back soon enough."


End file.
